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Drive-In sale likely for medical center
By John J. Hopkins Times
Reconstruction of Harlem Road will begin soon, and the surrounding scenery may also change because the owners of one of its well-known landmarks has an agreement with a local developer to sell their property so that a medical campus may be built.
Under the agreement, the threescreen Buffalo Drive-In, one of the few remaining movie theaters of its kind in the United States, would operate for the summer of 2007 before closing for good.
Replacing the drive-in will be a proposed 62,000 square-foot medical building that would bring new jobs to the area. It is considered the first phase of what could potentially be four buildings developed on the site.
Walden Development and the drive-in's owners, Holiday Drive-In Inc., have agreed on a sale, but the deal is contingent on Town Board approval of the three-story building on the 18.5-acre site, rezoning and other variances.
Four town board members were present at Tuesday's work session, and all appeared to be enthusiastic about the development after reviewing the plans, unveiled by Frank Campofelice of Walden Development and William E. Schutt of the engineering and land surveying firm Wm. Schutt & Associates.
"The Harlem Road corridor is an area we've been trying to clean up for a long time," said Supervisor James J. Jankowiak. "This certainly helps us."
Formal plans for the "Maxim Medical Building" were submitted to the town on March 1, and Schutt said he hopes that the group can appear at the planning board's April 12 meeting.
Walden Development has nine letters of intent from prospective tenants, Campofelice said. One of the tenants is interested in occupying an entire floor.
"Pre-leasing is going very well," Campofelice said. "We're meeting with another group this Friday which may necessitate us to add a fourth floor."
According to Campofelice, the physicians interested in establishing offices in the medical center are not currently established in Cheektowaga. He said at least two are expanding to town, but Campofelice was not sure how many are looking to relocate.
A parking agreement between the drive-in's owners and the neighboring Atwal Eye Center would con- tinue to be honored, Campofelice said. Atwal has a year-by-year agreement to lease the drive-in's ring road for employee parking during its business hours.
In addition, the eye center's proximity to the medical building is attractive to many of the prospective tenants. A covered walkway would connect the two buildings.
"Atwal has a very successful surgery center," Campofelice explained. "There may be a need for some of (our tenants) to use his surgery center."
Although the buildings would be connected by the walkway, Campofelice said that he has no intention of merging the two properties.
Campofelice said he hopes that site work could begin in September, after the drive-in wraps up its final season.
Harlem Road reconstruction is one of the features that is attractive to Walden Development.
"That is what has us excited about this," Campofelice said. "We have 18 acres and I see an opportunity to grab some doctors who are currently in the city or are way out in the suburbs."
The site plans show a building set back 200 feet from Harlem Road with parking in front of the building. A road with two stubs would lead to future buildings; two twostory structures and a one-story building.
Campofelice said that either a fence or berms would be constructed to the east and north sides of the property, where there are apartment buildings. A storm water retention basin would be located to the property's southern end.
"It appears they are sensitive to Windwood Court residents by adding a large boundary between them and the one-story buildings," said Councilmember Thomas M. Johnson. "I'm very encouraged and anxious to start the review process next Wednesday."
Campofelice said that he is not seeking funding from the Erie County Economic Development Agency nor does he want a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement, commonly referred to as "PILOT."
This revelation appeared to thrill board members, who have lamented lost revenue to projects associated with these programs in the past.
The possible closing of St. Joseph Hospital, located on Harlem Road about one mile south of the drive-in, has no effect on Walden Development's plans.
Campofelice said that none of the prospective tenants currently work at the hospital and added the tenants are not interested in St. Joseph if that building were to become available if it did shut down.
"The layout, examination rooms and large corridors would not work for them," Campofelice told the Times, adding confidentiality agreements prevent him from naming the tenants.
Holiday Drive-In owners could not be reached by press time.
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